Two meetings next week are very important for the future of Jamestown. Residents need to voice their opinions to help shape the city and county’s future.

On Tuesday, the City Council will discuss the retail development tied with a big box home improvement store. Jamestown needs more retail to stop the large amount of dollars leaving our region. If you haven’t seen the retail study, please take the time to read it at: http://tinyurl.com/retail401.

We do not have a retail leakage; it is more like a vast river of money flowing away from our region. These lost dollars impact sales tax collections, local projects, building projects and jobs. New retail will help attract people to our community and encourage local and regional households to shop here. This is a quality of life item as well.

People are attracted to areas in part because of what the area offers, which includes retail. We need the big box store, and the city is on the right path to attracting even more. If you want more retail, you need to make your voice heard by attending the City Council meeting on Tuesday and contacting the City Council members.

The other important meetings are the Land Use & Transportation Plan meeting on Jan. 28-30. There are discussions on redirecting traffic, new roads, traffic signals, sidewalks, paths and more. Again, if you want the quality of life to increase and make Jamestown a more vibrant community, you need to make your voice heard. Attend the workshops and find out the preliminary information and state your peace.

These are two important components for Jamestown’s future. The residents of Jamestown and Stutsman County have the right to speak up and be heard just as much as others have on these issues. Speak up and attend these meetings.